In the second year of this grant substantial reorientation of the program will be required, since the findings in the first year unexpectedly showed that the 12 carbon anionic detergent dodecyl sulfonate does not appreciable catalyze the hydrolysis of alkylacid amides. On the other hand it is as powerful a catalyst of amide hydrolysis in proteins containing glutamine and asparagine as was reported initially 38 years ago. It has not yet been adequately established that the same paradox applies to peptide bond hydrolysis. Therefore emphasis on the latter will be the highest priority at the beginning of the second year, with a number of independent methods for quantitatively estimating the hydrolysis of peptide bonds. Substantial additional work on ammonia clevage in model compounds and in modified proteins is also planned.